What would you do if your sister’s boyfriend made her question herself by repeatedly denying things he’s said?
Before you begin (trigger warning)
While discussing gender-based violence (GBV) can be important for healing and raising awareness, it's also essential to protect yourself and be mindful of personal triggers. Triggers can be experiences that cause a person to recall a traumatic event. For example, graphic images of violence might be triggering for some people. If anything here triggers you, it's okay to step back and focus on your safety and well-being. Seek out resources if needed, or try self-care strategies (PDF) like exercise, meditation, or spending time with loved ones to feel grounded and in control.
Scenario 8
Read the following scenario and consider whether this would be GBV. Then, respond with what you would do in this situation.
More than once after a fight your sister's boyfriend has posted online about their arguments, then later deleted the post.
When your sister brings it up, her boyfriend responds, "you must be imagining things because you're mad at me."
Even though it happened again recently, your sister has started to doubt herself, saying that it was late and she didn't screenshot it, so maybe she didn't see what she thought she did.
Scenario 8 complete
Well done! You've completed Scenario 8: Doubting your reality. You now understand that gaslighting is a form of coercive control that can deny and distort someone else's reality. You also know how to call out these behaviours and offer support.
It's important to note that acts of GBV like this can continue, escalate over time and can lead to other forms of GBV.
Remember, these three steps are essential in addressing instances of GBV.
